José María Amorrortu Set To Leave Athletic Club

Change is coming at Athletic Club. With manager Kuko Ziganda’s first year in charge viewed as a failure, the Basque giants will be hiring a replacement this summer in hopes of getting the ship back on course. However, that will not be the only major change happening in Bilbao. Sporting Director José María Amorrortu is also expected to leave the club in the near future after serving for nearly a decade.

José Mari Amorrortu will not be extending his contract with Athletic Club (Marca)

According to a new report from Juanma Velasco of Marca, Amorrortu will not be extending his contract which is set to expire in 2019. The 65-year-old will be moving on and there is also belief that he could actually make his exit this summer instead of seeing out the final year of his deal.

Amorrortu has served as the Sporting Director since 2011, but his time has been viewed with mixed emotions. A handful of youth signings have had fans questioning the direction of the club, while some do not believe that he has been aggressive enough in attempts to sign players for the first team. From the departure of Marcelo Bielsa to the disappointment under Kuko Ziganda, a large portion of fans have laid part of the blame on the 65-year-old. Regardless, it must also be said that the club has enjoyed success under his tenure as well.

As of right now there is no word on who will be replacing Amorrortu as the Sporting Director. Whoever does take the role will be in charge of overseeing the continued development of Lezama, as well as strengthening the first team squad. At Athletic Club there is need for unity and cohesion between the academy and senior side, so whoever is next in line will need to have a firm grasp of the club’s ideology and philosophy. Change is coming at Athletic and fans seem to be excited about it.